Vocal Mastery eBook

Raisa: “If I have developed perfect control
throughout the two and a half octaves of my voice,
can make each tone with pure quality and perfect evenness
in the different degrees of loud and soft, and if I
have perfect breath control as well, I then have an
equipment that may serve all purposes of interpretation.
For together with vocal mastery must go the art of
interpretation, in which all the mastery of the vocal
equipment may find expression. In order to interpret
adequately one ought to possess a perfect instrument,
perfectly trained. When this is the case one
can forget mechanism, because confident of the ability
to express any desired emotion.”

Homer: “The singer must master all difficulties
of technic, of tone production in order to be able
to express the thought of the composer, and the meaning
of the music.”

Werrenrath: “I can answer the question
in one word—­Disregard. For if you
have complete control of your anatomy and such command
of your vocal resources that they will always do their
work; that they can be depended on to act perfectly,
then you can disregard mechanism and think only of
the interpretation—­only of your vocal message.
Then you have conquered the material and have attained
Vocal Mastery.”

Kingston: “Vocal Mastery includes so many
things. First and foremost, vocal technic.
One must have an excellent technic before one can hope
to sing even moderately well. Technic furnishes
the tool with which the singer creates his vocal art
work. Then the singer must work on his moral
nature so that he shall express the beautiful and pure
in music. Until I have thus prepared myself,
I am not doing my whole duty to myself, my art or
to my neighbor.”

Griffith: “Vocal Mastery is acquired through
correct understanding of what constitutes pure vowel
sounds, and such control of the breath as will enable
one to convert every atom of breath into singing tone.
This establishes correct action of the vocal chords
and puts the singer in possession of the various tints
of the voice.

“When the vocal chords are allowed to produce
pure vowels, correct action is the result, and with
proper breath support, Vocal Mastery can be assured.”

Duval: “What is Vocal Mastery? Every
great artist has his own peculiar manner of accomplishing
results—­has his own vocal mastery.
Patti had one kind, Maurel another, Lehmann still
another. Caruso may also be said to have his
own vocal mastery.

“In fine, as every great artist is different
from his compeers, there can be no fixed and fast
standard of vocal mastery, except the mastery of doing
a great thing greatly and convincingly.”